


Prompt #12 (90-Prompt Challenge)

by GlitterBombLove



Series: Prompts - 90 Challenge [12]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Flash Fic, Prompt Fic, Vignette, teen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:54:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28353489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterBombLove/pseuds/GlitterBombLove
Summary: Prompt #12Genre: FantasyDecember 26, 2020Prompt Idea: Glass Ball / Key The Escape ArtistSource: Original
Series: Prompts - 90 Challenge [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052597





	1. Key The Escape Artist 1

**Author's Note:**

> More scenes will be added to this prompt in the weeks to come.

With palace guards chasing her down a wide hallway, Key dashed to the entrance of the balcony garden. Before the guards could follow her through, she stopped abruptly and turned on her heels. She sneered. She had enough of playing the mouse. As they closed in on her, she thrust her hands out and showed the guards two glass balls she was gripping. The guards skidded to a halt. 

She was glad she was bare faced and they could see the two angry slashes of her eyebrows and the mean little smile curling her lips. She tossed one ball in the air and caught it without looking. She heard a few gasps from some of the guards. Their expressions were concealed because they all wore golden masks, but she hoped they were terrified. They should be scared.

She juggled the glass balls in a circular pattern as she took a step forward slowly -- her eyes glared unwaveringly at the guards. They took a few steps back in retreat. On her third step forward, the guards scattered and ran away from her. She slammed the glass balls hard on the ground, cracking them into smithereens. Smoke and embers quickly shot up from the broken glass. As a dozen small flames drifted in mid air, Key sped through the hallway and into the outer terrace gardens.

A wall of fire exploded behind her. The force pushed against her back and knocked her to the ground. Gravel scraped her palms as she skidded on her stomach. Her ears rang as she rolled on her back, trying to shake herself to alertness. She cursed her weapon-makers Cato for neglecting to warn her about the glass balls. They were more powerful than usual. 

A shadow fell over her eyes. A tip of something sharp nudged her throat. 

"Move and you're dead."


	2. Key The Escape Artist 2

She tensed and peered up at the guard hovering over her. He wore a golden mask but it was smooth and unmarked. She relaxed. This one was new to the military. Soldiers earned the ornate patterns etched into the gold masks. Each mark was a badge. The more elaborate the patterns, the more combat experience, victories and kills the guards or soldier had through his years. This guard's mask was smooth and unmarred. 

Key's eyes travelled to the sword the guard was holding and realized it wasn't a weapon. He held a garden hoe. 

"You've mistaken me for one of your flowers," she said. She felt a little dizzy from being knocked down so hard by the blast. "Run along and go dig elsewhere."

"K-k-keep still. The other guards will be here soon!"

"So I'm supposed play captive for you?"

"Yes..."

"I don't think that's happening." She tried reasoning with him. Her head was still woozy and she preferred to avoid fighting."You're obviously new to this and don't understand. You've got many lessons in combat to learn before you're a threat to me. Make it easy on yourself. Let me go and play little boy gardener somewhere else." 

"I'm not a gardener! And I'm not a little boy. We're the same age!"

"What's wrong with being a gardener? It's a better life than being a soldier in this wicked prince's army," she said. "Take my advice. Walk away and you'll save yourself from the bruises and humiliation."

She felt the garden tool press deeper under her chin in answer. From the corner of her eye, she saw something white flash on the roof. She needed to hurry. The wall of fire would be extinguishing out or the guards would be pouring out from other entrances. She needed to get up the the rooftop right now. 

"Lesson one, combat is painful," she said. "You should avoid fighting when possible." Before he could retort back, she raised her leg and kicked him hard in the knee. As he howled out in surprise and lost his balance, she grabbed a hold of the garden tool at the wooden part and yanked it away from him. She scurried to her feet and before he could get back to his feet, she clubbed him on the head. She ran and threw the hoe into the massive pool besides them.

She searched for the ladder leading to the rooftop. She was told she could find it at the end of the building behind a line of fig trees. But there were trees everywhere and they all looked alike. The water garden was sprawling with maze-like islands featuring different flower gardens. She had to sprint over several ornamental bridges to locate the fig grove and the unobtrusive ladder.

She scaled the metal rungs. Her hands were slippery from sweat and blood, but she climbed quickly. She heard gusting sounds above her. Before she could haul herself over the final bar, a hand cuffed around her ankle.

"Halt!" The Garden Boy said. He was using all of his weight to pull her down.


	3. Key The Escape Artist 3

Key tried to pull away but he clung to her. He was surprisingly strong despite his lanky frame.

She struggled to release his grip. He tugged her foot off the step and she lost her balance. Her hands loosened their hold and her other foot slipped. She barely clung to the bar. She fought to keep her grip and dangled.

"Hey, now. Stop that!"

"Just returning the favor," he said. She felt him shift his body weight to heave her down.

"Idiot. It wasn't even a hard blow," Key shouted down at him. "I could have done more damage to you -- but I didn't. You're such a pathetic baby. I should have struck you much harder."

"You hit hard enough. You're going to pay for that and more. I'll see to it that you're arrested and rot for your crimes."

"You talk too much." Key gambled on her own strength. She released one hand from the bar. She grasped the ladder with her remaining hand but it was slipping by the second. With her free hand, she fumbled in one of her vest pockets. She reached for a pouch and with nimble fingers untied it's strings. She flung the contents downward. A silver dust dusted on the guard's head, shoulders and hands. She saw blisters appear on the back of his hand. He howled, releasing her leg.

Key regained her foothold and with her newly freed leg, kicked him hard in the face. His gold mask flew off. For a moment, she stared down at a flushed handsome face. He coughed, choking from the dust. She tore her eyes away and forced herself to climb up.


	4. Key The Escape Artist 4

Key hauled herself over the final rung of the ladder. She sighed in relief when she saw the hot air balloon hovering overhead. She waved at her cohort Bronwyn. In the basket, Bronwyn leaned over and clenched a rope anchored to a chimney. The winds were gusting, rocking the balloon and basket.

"Hurry!" Bronwyn called out, her meaty fists gripping the rope. "I can't hold much longer. You're late!"

"I got delayed in the garden." As Key headed toward the balloon, she saw shock wash over Bronwyn's face and felt something slam against her. She was brought her knees. She scrambled on all fours and saw the young guard. He had tackled her to the ground.

"You, again?" She hissed. She sprang to her feet quickly.

"You are captive under the King's Law," he rasped, breathing heavily. He could barely stand up. He straightened himself and stumbled a few steps. He looked awful. The burn powder splotched his face. His breath was irregular. He still wanted to fight. He might be an impressive soldier one day.

Key stared at his bruised mouth. Before she could think, she grasped his head and pressed her lips against his swollen mouth. He froze in shock and indignation. She kissed him for a beat longer. She traced a finger on his squared jaw and chucked it, grinning at him.

"Lesson two. Don't let your enemy confuse you," she said, planting her boot against his stomach and shoving hard. The guard screamed and fell backwards off the building and disappeared. Key listened for a moment to his cries and then a loud sloshing of water below. With her lips and hands tingling, she ran towards the balloon.

"Kiss and kill? A tad bit ruthless, even for you."" Bronwyn smirked, tossing over a rope for Key to climb.

"I couldn't help it." Key said, not bothering to correct her. "I hadn't seen a face so pretty in ages."

After Key heaved herself hand over hand up the rope and into the basket, Bronwyn released the rope anchored to the building. They rose in the air, and she could see the soldiers and guards combing through the gardens and onto the rooftops. She thought she spotted a group of guards helping a dripping soldier from the side of a pool. She swore he shook a fist in the air at them.

"Did you get the jewel?"

Key patted her chest pocket and smiled with satisfaction. Her body ached. Her lips burned and fingertips tingled in earnest now, but she blocked pain out.

She had stolen a treasure from a wicked prince. And a kiss from an innocent soldier.


	5. Key The Escape Artist 5

"What took you so long?" Bronwyn yanked pulleys and maneuvered their balloon high into the clouds. They headed westward over the mountains where they would meet up with the rest of their gang.

"They lied to us," Key said, shivered from the cold air. She rummaged through a pile in a corner of the basket and found a blanket to wrap around herself. "The patron who hired us told us there was an insider in the palace and the vaults would be left open. Everything was still locked up. If anything, it was almost like the guards were forewarned."

"Cheater of cheats!" Bronwyn growled, her loud voice sliced through the chilly air. "I knew it was too good to be true! It was supposed to be an easy job."

"It felt like a trap." Key said. "I'm glad we listened to Jinx's visions and we decided to escape by air at the last minute. There were no horses waiting at the bridge as promised. We would have been caught for certain."

"We are not giving the patron the loot then!" Bronwyn said. "Send me to choke the life out of them instead."

"As far as I'm concerned, the deals off." Key said. "They'll need to pay much more than what was agreed upon if they want their bauble. I had to use every last weapon I carried just to escape."

"What's so special about the jewel?"

"Nothing I can tell -- it's a bit drab really. I'm not sure why anyone would hire us to steal it. Or why the prince would guard it under such heavy lock and key. We'll have Kato examine it before we decide what we'll do next."

"So it was a lot of work for nothing," Bronwyn sounded disappointed. "We were supposed to earn a sack full of gold coins for this and we have nothing to show for it now. And we'll have the prince's army hunting us. How will we escape?"

"We'll do what we do best," Key said. "We'll figure it out as we go."


	6. Key The Escape Artist 6

The balloon drifted through the clouds. Key warmed her hands by blowing into them and watched Bronwyn checked a compass. Bronwyn pulled a cord and the basket jerked roughly. Key gripped the rim of the basket for stability and looked questioning at her friend. Bronwyn chuckled and shrugged.

"Still getting the hang of this thing?" Key said dryly. "You said you learned how to fly."

"More or less. Hold on tight." Bronwyn pulled another cord and the basket swayed. The basket descended through the clouds and Key grew alarmed as a stony ridge emerged from the mists. Bronwyn pulled a rope and frowned when nothing happened. Brownyn's eyes grew large in her round face and she scratched her head as if puzzled.

Key clutched the basket for dear life as the balloon rocked wildly. Her breath caught in her chest as she watched Bronwyn mutter to herself and frantically yank cords. The balloon swerved away from the mountainous wall and into the canyon.

"Yaaaaaaaahhhhh haaaa!" Bronwyn hollered. Her laughter echoed in the canyon. Her eyes bugged out and looked thrilled.

"I hate when you do this!" Key shouted. "I can't believe you're enjoying yourself."

"Look down."


End file.
